A Boy Next Door
by cpennylane
Summary: Stoneybrook has many secrets. Before Nicky Pike and his sister can find them out, they must first deal with their own secrets. NickHaley, some angst and teenage confusion. Mature themes and drug use. WIP
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I do not own the Baby-Sitter's Club characters, or the lyrics to Octopus's Garden. I assure you, this is not a "song fic." The BSC is owned by Scholastic, Ann M. Martin, and possibly some ghostwriters. Octopus's Garden is a song by the Beatles. The majority of the Beatles catalog was sold to Michael Jackson a long time ago. Either way, I do not own the song. Please don't sue me, I'm not making any money off of this.

Rated M for drug use and adult themes. If you are offended by that, please don't read it.

I have not read The Fire At Mary Anne's House, nor any of the Friends Forever books. Therefore, they do not exist to me.

* * *

Chapter 1: The Octopus's Garden 

_We would be warm below the storm_

_In our little hideaway beneath the waves_

_Resting our head on the sea bed_

_In an Octopus's garden near a cave_

The song blares from my clock radio, waking me from a sleep devoid of dreams. I quickly turn it off before any of my brothers wake up, and climb down and out of the wooden bunk bed that I share with my brother Jordan. It is my month to sleep on the top. That means I have a bit more privacy. I reach up and under my pillow, taking the tattered, dog-eared magazine with me as I stumble into the bathroom and look at myself in the mirror. I sigh.

Looking back at me is a reflection of a 15 year old guy. Brown hair, brown eyes. Average height, average weight. Everything about me is just so _average_. I know I only have a few minutes before the chaos of "growing up Pike" begins.

I lock the doors to the bathroom as fast as humanly possible and pick up the magazine I have brought with me. No one in my family knows about the magazine. Well, she knows about it, of course. But she does not know I still have it. With any sort of luck, she won't know about it.

Flipping past the centerfold, I turn to the amateur shots near the back. The pictures that average people, like my 16-year-old sister Vanessa, send in for cash prizes. However, there is nothing average about Vanessa.

I look at her picture, and feel myself getting hard. I know it is wrong. She is my _sister _and these feelings are completely wrong. I shuddered bit, thinking of what I have become.

I know why she did it. In a family of eight children, there is never pocket money. Anything we can do for a little extra cash, we do. Personal possessions are scarce. Almost everything I own has been handed down from my three older brothers. Because they are triplets, I often get three of things that I don't particularly like, and nothing of things that I do.

Did you know that identical triplets are incredibly rare? Only one in something like 250 live births results in natural born, identical triplets. I know this because my three older brothers are natural born, identical triplets. Everyone thinks they are _special._

Cable TV loves the Pikes. Not all of the Pikes are popular though. Just Adam, Byron, Jordan, Claire, and Margo. TLC snubs the rest of us, only mentioning us at the end of the specials. The Discovery Channel didn't even mention that there are three other children. It's as if we don't exist.

Mallory is my oldest sister. 18 years old, attends Smith. Everyone is so proud of her. She went to boarding school so she could go to a good college and become a famous writer. She published her first children's book when she was my age.

Then there are my brothers that I mentioned before. Identical triplets. It's all I've ever heard. How cute my brothers are. How amazing it is that my parents were that blessed. How fortunate it was that they are identical. How rare it is that they are carbon copies of each other.

Next comes my sister Vanessa. Thinking of the picture, I feel myself get hard again. Damn. She's definitely on her way to being something amazing. She loves poetry. She has always been there for me. I told her not to take the pictures. I told her I would give her all the money I earn bagging groceries. But she's tough, and doesn't want to rely on people. Her dream is move to New York City, become a famous poet and playwright. The best way to describe her would be "modern bohemian."

I would love for her dream to come true. But she's stuck here for another two years. I can't stand to see her suffer like this, under our parent's roof. They tend to have their hands full with their jobs, the triplets, and my two younger sisters.

Claire and Margo. They are 12 and 14, respectively. Mostly, they are pests, always giggling and talking about boys and fighting over stuff. Fortunately, they both attend Stoneybrook Middle School so I don't have to see them all day.

The less said about Margo, the better.

Claire has been working as a children's model ever since she competed in the Little Miss Stoneybrook competition when she was five. When she didn't win, we thought she would just go back to normal. Instead, she began competing in modeling competitions all over town. It took away, but eventually she started to win.

I glance down at the picture again. I feel the familiar longing, and decide to take a shower. Halfway through, one of my brothers starts banging on the door. I wrap myself in a towel, gathering my clothes off the floor, and slip the magazine in the pile of stuff in my arms. I plan to slip it into my backpack later.

When you share a room with three people, it's hard to hide stuff. You find ways. I used to keep money in an old, hollowed out dictionary, but one day Adam tried to look up the meaning of existentialism, and I wound up $200 poorer. Mom and Dad do not intervene unless it's a matter of public safety. They say it is best to work it out on our own. Sometimes, it would be nice for just a little bit of structure.

At breakfast, I sit across from Vanessa. She is dressed in her Stoneybrook Day uniform, which is a plaid skirt, white oxford shirt, and a blazer with the school crest. She somehow managed to alter it so it was shorter then it should have been. Her black, shiny hair cascades down her shoulders.

I make myself a breakfast burrito, but before I eat it, Adam grabs it. He eats it right in front of me. I pick up the box of Cheerios. It's empty. Vanessa gives me a look of understanding, and passes me the rest of her Cheerios. Before I can eat them, mom tells us all to get moving. Fantastic. I can tell this is going to be a terrific day.

Claire and Margo just giggle and beg Jordan to drive them to school in his new car. I don't stick around to find out who was driving whom. If they think I am trying to get a ride, I might not hear the end of it for a while.

In the hallway, I pull on my winter coat and pick up my skateboard. There is something heavy in the pocket of my jacket. I pull out Vanessa's compact. In it is a note:

_Meet me in our place, 2__nd__ period. Don't worry about your Spanish Test. I called the school and told them you had a dental appointment. Also, look in this mirror. It's called self-esteem and you need some. Remember the banana-fish. _

_P.S. Good Luck with your debate! _

I go over my debate notes in my head while I walk to school. On the way, Jordan passes me in his new Mustang, with Claire and Margo in the backseat. Surprisingly, they do not throw stuff at me. A few moments later, Adam and Byron pass in Adam's Jeep. They yell something obscene at me.

Vanessa drives the other way to school, to Stoneybrook Day School. She received a scholarship for writing some sort of poem or essay. She really is brilliant, I think to myself as I re-read the words she had written on the mirror.

First hour, I have debate. I choose my words carefully and quickly convince everyone of the importance of a strict constitutional interpretation. After class, Ms. Rosenberg tells me that I've made the team. I'm not surprised. Everyone knew I was going to make it. I am the best at debate in the entire sophomore class. Not that that's saying much. Stoneybrook High isn't known for their academics.

After she tells me the details about practice times and competitions, I calmly walk out of school, down the street, to the edge of what used to be Dawn Schafer's property. Dawn Schafer was my babysitter when I first found this place. I do not know who lives here now. She moved to California around the same time that Mallory escaped the Pike household for boarding school.

Even so, I walk into the barn as though I live here. The trapdoor is already open. It doesn't surprise me. I lower myself down the rickety, ancient, wooden ladder. I've climbed down this ladder hundreds of times before, and it still gives me the shudders.

I feel my feet reach the hard packed dirt floor, and I dig around through my messenger bag, looking for my flashlight. Sometimes it's hard to explain to noisy SMS students why I always have a flashlight with me. But that's the price you pay, right?

Before I could find it, Vanessa and her friend Haley jump out at me.

I'll admit it. I yelped a little. It was _not_ manly.

"Nicky!" Haley was excited to see me. I was excited to see her too. Especially the way her white tank top clung to all the _right _places, if you know what I mean. I guess Haley is my girlfriend. We don't really talk about it, but we hang out a lot. I've done _that_ sort of stuff with her too. She makes me confused. It's a happy sort of confusion, but sometimes, I'd just like things to be simple.

I hold her hand as we make our way down the secret basement passageway, towards the middle. Somehow, Haley and Vanessa procured an electric lamp. It gives us just enough light to see a few feet ahead of us.

We don't really need light for what we are about to do. However, some light would be nice. Haley and Vanessa looked _fantastic_ in their plaid school skirts. Haley opens her fancy leather book-bag and pulls out a small picnic blanket. She spreads this on the ground and we all sit facing each other, with the lamp in the middle. I pull out a lighter. It's my special lighter, it's yellow and shaped like a fish. Vanessa calls it a banana fish. I think she read it in a book somewhere.

"Is this everyone?" I asked. Sometimes Vanessa's boyfriend joins us. Lately he has been hanging around a lot. He's okay, I guess. Doesn't seem like a bad guy. He's not controlling or weird or anything like that. He's just … not right for her.

"I got the stuff from Karen earlier, and Linny said he'd sneak out after he turns in his Calc homework. He's under a lot of pressure, you know." Vanessa gives a deeply apologetic look. "He said to start without him."

Vanessa pulls out a dime bag and her pipe. "You get the first hit, because you've had a terrible week." I look at her, hoping she will shut her mouth in front of Haley. She must have got the message, because she says nothing else. I pack the bowl, hit the pipe and pass it to Vanessa quickly.

"I can't believe you have to go to SHS," she said after she takes her first hit. "Mom and Dad are so lame. They treat you so unfairly, you know. This liberal parent thing is just their excuse to pay more attention to their friends then their children. "

I agree with her, and shrug. "What can I do?" Haley passes me the pipe, and I take another hit. I pass it back to Vanessa. "Wish we could get some music down here."

We talk some more, passing the pipe around. I know I have to keep track of the time. Skipping means suspension. I don't need to be suspended right now. Neither do the girls. Stoneybrook Day doesn't just suspend you for skipping. Stoneybrook Day kids have to go to school on Saturday and help the janitors clean.

After a good ten minutes or so, I realized that Linny had joined us. I wasn't sure when. He sits by my sister. Haley sees me watching them and pushes herself over towards me. She rests her head in my lap. I notice that I can see down her oxford shirt. I try to avoid the potential embarrassment of getting hard and try to think about strengthening my argument on constitutional interpretation. I stroke her blonde, shiny hair. She leans up and kisses me, gently on the lips. I relax while the conversation continues around us.

I look into her eyes. They are big, brown, and have this vulnerability to them that she tries to hide. I know a few of her secrets, things that make me want to hurt other people. It's what you get for being a listener. Lots and lots of secrets.

Eventually, I realize that I have to go back to school. I don't want to, school is too easy. I have very few friends at Stoneybrook High. I hug Haley, and whisper to her that I have to go.

"No. You don't have to go back. You are the smartest kid in that school, you won't get behind. We'll find a way to get it excused." She stands up. "I have an incredible idea."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Day Tripper

Haley's great ideas are hit or miss. The three of us watch Haley carefully, hoping that this won't involve another trip into the city to look for something she probably shouldn't find. I won't soon forget that day. I'd been to the City before – usually to visit with relatives around the holidays – but they live near Park Avenue. The part of the city that Haley took me to last week was definitely _not_ Park Avenue.

However, there was also the time she talked me into skipping school so we could look for the Stamford Branch of Dunder-Mifflin Paper. It was oddly entertaining. There was also the time we tried to get bit parts in some movie about crossword puzzles. I don't know how she knows when these things happen. I certainly don't, and I try to keep up on news. Really, I do.

Today, however, Haley seemed to be in a different sort of mood. She suggests sailing, then goes into a tirade of emotions, talking about how free she feels on the water.

"It's like, nothing else matters. I feel so close to, like, nature and stuff."

I look at her skeptically. My family has a really old motorboat that we rarely use. However, I do have my boating license. They had all of us take a course in Jr. High. At the end there was a ceremony and all students received licenses that allow us to operate certain types of watercrafts.

"Come on guys – we can stop at a deli, pick up a picnic, and eat it on one of those little islands. It'll be _fun_, and something different. Maybe we should invite James and Karen?" Haley is in the middle of planning a menu for six when she is interrupted.

"—Hold up" Vanessa holds up her hand. "What boat are we using? First of all, do you know how to sail?"

Haley nods her blonde hair in response. I can't help but notice the way the light from the flashlight seems to bounce off her. I want to touch her hair, just run my fingers through it. Sometimes, I think I might be slightly obsessed with girls.

"So you know how to sail. But you are forgetting something. We can't rent a sailboat from the community center in the middle of the day. They will want to know why we are not in school. Remember -- school? If we manage to find away to get Karen and James to sneak out of two different schools, we still have to avoid suspension and Saturday detentions."

Linny looks like he might want to say something, but Vanessa clearly wasn't done.

"Not to mention the fact that you are the only person who knows how to sail. From what I remember, the rental sailboats are not going to fit 6 teenagers."

Linny coughs. It's a loud, fake cough. "Well, actually I know how to sail, and we have a boat. Well, it's more of a yacht. We can use it, my parents never do." He is unsuccessful in masking the bitterness in his voice. "There is one problem. I don't know how we are going to tow it."

"Oh, we can so worry about that later. Let's go do something fun!"

"Vanessa – call Nick's school, pretend to be your mom again. Tell them that Nick's had an allergic reaction to the anesthesia, and won't be in school the rest of the day." I smile. Haley's ability to find workable excuses to get out of things will never fail to amaze me.

I can feel myself smiling. It felt really good, I don't smile often. "What are you going to do?"

"Oh, it's no problem. I'll just do what I usually do and—"

"You don't! That's so –"

"What fun is it to have a deaf brother if you can't get out of school once in a while? He owes this to me." Haley said. I notice that she had the 'I don't want to talk about it' look on her face. I know this look well. "Now. What about 'nessa?"

We ponder this for a few minutes. "Doctor's Appointment?" I say. As soon as I say it, I feel stupid.

"No. The attendance lady hates me. She will demand to see a note from a doctor. I should have stolen some of Dr. Johansson's paper last time I was at Charlotte's house. Besides, I got out of 2nd and 3rd period by saying I was meeting with a publisher about my latest manuscript."

"That's it!" Haley jumps up. "I'll call and say that I'm your publisher's assistant. I'll say that we need you in the city for the rest of the day to go to meetings and things."

"But won't they eventually want to see me publish something?"

Haley points out that it takes about a year to publish something, and by then everyone will have forgotten. Once that is settled, we move on to the phone calls. Linny does not bother.

While Vanessa calls Stoneybrook High, Haley kisses me. The kiss is passionate and surprising.

When we break apart, I look into her deep brown eyes, and remark about how pretty she is. As soon as the words leave my mouth, I feel childish.

A real man, someone who actually deserves her would have said something much smoother than my stumbling "You're pretty" and "I like your eyes." I know there is more to her than her pretty face and sleek hair. I remember when she moved to Stoneybrook and had a rat-tail, like a boy. Now, she makes me feel so inadequate.

She goes to Stoneybrook Day. I feel so poor when I look at my Chuck Taylors and my crappy messenger bag. I see her expensive shoes and her leather backpack and wonder _why me_?

I wonder why she does this to me. She drives me crazy. Then she kisses me again, and I stop thinking about that. I just kiss her back. It's a brief moment, but it feels like forever. The pot is starting to wear off. I wonder how long we have been in this underground tunnel.

We break apart.

She bounces down the tunnel. I bend over, thankfully using the excuse of picking up the blanket and her bag from the ground to hide my obvious erection.

We pile into Linny's sports car, and drive to the other side of town. Stoneybrook is small, so the other side of town is about 5 minutes by car. We stop at a restaurant and get milkshakes. There is something so amazing about the taste of a milkshake after pot. While I am slowly sucking down the "Jamocha" flavored shake, Haley leans over me. She brushes the hair out of my eyes.

"You're too serious."

Maybe I am, yet Haley pointing this out so casually stings. She teases me with her eyes, her mouth brushing up against mine. I take the bait and kiss her. My head spins a little bit.

"Okay guys, this is not the sex mobile!" Linny calls back to us. He sounds far away.

We pull up to the Papadakis mansion. I feel awkward. The difference in our social class feels pronounced.

"Don't worry, our housekeeper doesn't come on Friday, and my parents are in Monte Carlo. I feel bad for my sister, her birthday is tomorrow. I think they forgot." Linny says, with a bitter tone in his voice. "No one is ever home."

"Well, then why are we hiding out in the secret passageway?" I couldn't help but ask.

Haley looks at me and giggles. The question goes unanswered. I guess we never really thought about smoking anywhere else.

I follow my sister into the Papadakis's house, passing a terrarium with a very large turtle or tortoise. I remember it having a silly name. I pause, taking in the splendor of the Papadakis house. The house doesn't look as grandiose from the inside. In fact, it looks almost normal. Spotlessly clean, but there aren't any indoor fountains or anything grandiose like that.

Linny leads us to the living room, and opens up the liqueur cabinet that stands in the corner. He grinned and showed us the key he had on his keychain. "They don't know I have it. I had a copy made. Clever, huh?"

Vanessa points out that it is a simple lock, and any skeleton key would work. To demonstrate, she takes a skeleton key from her purse and locks the cabinet. Linny scowls a bit, and reopens the cupboard. He takes out a bottle of vodka. "Who wants a drink?"

Instead of a response, Vanessa follows him to the kitchen. Moments later, Vanessa appears with a tray. On the tray are three different kinds of juice, and for some reason, a dish of olives.

We mix up some drinks and sit down on the sofa. It's nice – soft fabric, expensive design. The furniture at the Pike house looks like it was used as ammunition in WWII. Not only is it old – it's falling apart.

My sort-of girlfriend stands up. I am becoming used to her proclamations. She has grandiose ideas, but no real follow through. Last week, she wanted to try coke, so we ended up driving into the city. A few hours later, we were back in Stoneybrook – no coke, but we did end up with the knowledge that real gunshots do not actually sound like a car backfiring.

"Look at us. Nicky. Linny. Vanessa. Just look at us. Do you remember when we were children?" Haley sounded upset. I wanted to hug her. Make her happy. However, my brain and body were functioning at two different speeds. I felt far away. "We grew up together. We loved Stoneybrook. Everything was so much... better." She really emphasizes the word better. She lies on the floor. I lay next to her so our heads just touch. She pulls out the pipe from somewhere, and it starts the rotation again.

I think she is feeling her drink. I know I am feeling the vodka/cranberry mixture Vanessa mixed for me.

"You, Nicky Pike, are the smartest person I know. You are strong, funny, and brave. I don't know how you live with half the stuff that your family does to you." At this, Vanessa gives her a weird, probing look.

"Smart. Yeah, right."

"Yes. You can come up with arguments for anything, even on the side that makes no sense. I know you are fluent in Spanish and French, and you are at the top of every class. Even art – do you know how rare it is that you are logical and creative?" Vanessa says. Haley nods her head.

"It's your family. I'm sorry Vanessa, but –"

"No, I know. The triplets are horrible, and Mom and Dad don't do anything."

At this, I get up. "Who cares? Why are we always sitting around talking about things we can't help?"

"But you can show them –"

"No, they really don't care. It's okay though. I've made it this far."

"Nicky you are so brave." Haley looks at me as if I'm some sort of hero. A hero for what? Getting beat up almost daily by my brothers? Sometimes I really wonder about that girl. "Anyway, so we know what's wrong with Nick. Vanessa, it's your turn." Haley hands Vanessa the lighter.

"I had to wear _Mallory's_ hand me downs for _years_. Do you have _any_ idea how horrible it was to be stuck with hand-me-downs from_ Flashdance?_ It was the worst. I still can't figure out when she became so beautiful." Vanessa looks at the ground. "It's lame, I know."

Linny's poodle stares at us disapprovingly. Haley's head was in my lap. It feels like there is nothing wrong at all.

"I like pot." Linny takes a big hit. We all knew what was wrong in Linny's life. There was no reason to say it aloud. It was the typical high school drama of doing too much too do, and not enough time. Not to mention the complete and total absence of parents.

"Oh, by the way, I texted Karen and Jake." He said this last bit as Karen Brewer enters the living room, followed by Jake Kuhn. "Weren't we going sailing?"

"Sorry, I didn't know if I should ring the doorbell. I figured no one was home, so I just let myself in. I hope I didn't set off any alarms. Gosh, I never really think about that. Anyway, I brought some more pot, and I have a few lines if anyone wants. I failed a Latin test today, so I need to relax before I bring it home for my dad to sign." Karen looks around, and then apparently noticing me, she launches into another spiel of fast-talking.

"Oh my God! Nicky Pike, how are you? I haven't seen you in a while." She sat on the armrest of the sofa. "How's school? I wish you went to Stoneybrook Day School. How are your brothers? I saw their new commercial. But you probably don't want to talk about them, do you? I like your hair." She touches my hair. She combs my bangs over with her fingers. Then she pushes them back. "Do you like my hair? I just got it done, I found a new stylist downtown."

I don't think she is talking to me anymore. Karen Brewer is nice, and like a girl scout, she is always prepared. Sometimes, she gives me a headache. She is the typical bubbly cheerleader type. She's cute, but not my type.

Karen continues to comb through my hair with her fingers. Haley glares at her. It is amusing. I smile. It's like I can't stop smiling. I feel so comfortable, like I am at home. Well, the way home is supposed to feel, surrounded by close friends and no fear of being attacked at random for unknown reasons.

Linny hands Karen the pipe. She takes this opportunity to refill it, still talking really fast about something. I have long since stopped paying attention.

Haley gets up to make more drinks. I follow her to the kitchen. "Looks like we won't be going anywhere for a while. We should make the most of this time." I touch her hand. She pulls away.

I am so confused. She's been grabbing me and kissing me all morning. This just proves that girls are weird. I turn her head towards mine. "Are you okay?"

She points to the clock. "It's 11 o'clock. I should be declining nouns in Latin right now. Why did I skip? I cannot fail! Everyone will hate me. Oh, I should go back to school. But I can't. Not like this."

I look at her carefully. "This was your idea, you know."

"Yes, thank you for pointing that out. Everything is my fault."

I think she might start crying. I reach for her, to hug her. Her hair smells wonderful. Like strawberries, only better. I feel like I shouldn't be thinking about that right now. Something was obviously wrong. I should have noticed it earlier, but I'd been so wrapped up in my own stuff. Haley _never_ skips school, and in the past two weeks, it had become a daily thing.

"Why do you suddenly hate school? You love school. You and Vanessa both are so academically competitive – I didn't realize. Is there something going on that I don't know?"

Haley looks at me. Her warm, kind eyes have turned to ice. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me." I stare back at her.

Instead of letting me in on her secret, Haley opens the cupboard, fishes around and finds five shot glasses. She fills each one to the brim with Tequila, and cuts up a lime from the fridge. She grabs a saltshaker, puts it on the tray with the shots and heads toward the living room. I follow her, quite pathetically.

In the living room, we take the shots. Haley turns on the fancy stereo, and her and Karen start dancing around. Jake sits down next to me on the couch and trys to make small talk about the Yankees.

A few tequila shots later, clothes start coming off. Haley kisses Karen. They do it teasingly, like watch what you can't have. I look over at Vanessa and Linny, and wonder why they haven't moved into his bedroom yet. Surely, some privacy would be nice? Maybe he forgot it was his house. Jake Kuhn just sits there, taking in the scene. He's the type of guy who is baked from morning to night. However, he still manages to play on the Stoneybrook Day School baseball team. I stopped wondering about that a while ago.

Haley kisses me. I feel it throughout my body. I ache a bit when she pulls away. Karen kisses me. It's different. I think I prefer Haley. Haley puts her hand down my pants. I look across the room, and make eye contact with Vanessa. She is rubbing her body up and down on Linny, in that all too familiar way. She doesn't look away. Karen moves over to Jake. Karen comes back to me. Haley pushes her away.

Haley grabs a hold of Karens hair and they kiss some more. I can't take it.

Sometime later, everyone gets dressed. We pick up the glasses, put away the drugs, and spray expensive perfume around the house. Karen leaves first, in a new car. I walk her to the door. "I think we might still be going sailing later, if you want to come. But I need to get back to school and take a test."

"How do you have a license? Aren't you younger then me?"

Karen smiles. "You know, you don't have to have a license to drive. It's just recommended."

"Yeah, so you don't go to jail," says Haley, coming up behind me, kissing my neck.

We watch Karen drive away, past her stepfather's house. She didn't reek of pot and alcohol like the rest of us.

Haley and I go to the Papadakis' backyard. We sit on a two-person swing, looking out at their beautiful garden. She puts her head on my shoulder. I like how she makes me feel like a person.

"Can we just stay here?"

I nod. Even though we can't, not really. I like the idea enough to agree though. We sit in silence for a long time. Then she speaks.

"If I tell you something, promise you won't tell?"

"Of course." I agree quickly. Perhaps a little too quickly.

"No, seriously. This isn't something little or dumb, like the time I copied Charlotte's homework. This is embarrassing, and I don't know what to do."

I look at her. She seems vulnerable, like she might break down any second. I _hate_ it when girls cry. It makes me feel so uncomfortable. I take her hand. I kiss her. "I promise." I say in my most adult sounding voice.

She looks away. "Remember that party last Friday?"

How could I forget? It was the worst experience of my life.


	3. Chapter 3

BND: Chapter Three: Come Sail Away

Somehow, I manage to get back to school in time for debate club practice at 3:15. I spend an hour debating on prayer in schools, and learning about how the meets will work. Apparently, Stoneybrook will host a competition the weekend before the big crossword puzzle competition. I feign excitement, and leave as quickly as possible at 4:45. It's not difficult, I can tell the other kids don't really like me.

As I walk out the door, I see my friends standing in the parking lot around a white Suburban which is towing a giant boat – it wasn't exactly big enough to be considered a yacht, although Linny swore it was.

"Your parents don't store that at the marina?"

Linny shrugged. "I don't think they use it enough to pay the high prices at the marina. Apparently, the Stoneybrook Community Center likes to price gauge. We have space in our garage, so whatever, I guess. Doesn't really affect me, you know?"

I just looked at him. It was more then I'd heard him say at once in a long time.

"Yeah!!!!!!!! Nick's here! We're going saillllling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Haley screams from the backseat, gaining the attention of every teacher, student, and janitor who is in the parking lot.

Linny leans over to me and whispers. "Don't worry, it's got a small motor. I have a feeling that she's not the expert sailor she claims to be." I nod in response. There isn't much to say.

We pile into the Suburban, and Linny drives us to the boat launch by the Community Center. While he is unsteadily backing into the water, a short woman comes over.

"Quick – hide me!" Haley jumps behind me. "Kristy Thomas works at the community center now, and she's coming this way."

"Well, what do you want me to do about it?" I whisper back. This is getting embarrassing. Vanessa is crouching behind a tree. Karen ducks under the water, where she was standing, giving hand signals to Linny. Kristy is getting closer, and I can see a whistle hanging on a Stoneybrook Community Center lanyard around her neck. I wonder how long Karen can hold her breath.

"Is there anything I can do to help you… Nicky Pike? Is that you? Linny Papadakis? Where are your parents? Do you have permission to be here? Whose boat is that?" Kristy barks out question after question. "Haley Braddock? Why are you trying to hide behind Nicky? I can see you. Are you guys not supposed to be here?"

"Wow, so many questions." I say, stupidly. "You aren't my baby-sitter anymore. What's with the interrogation?"

Kristy gasped. I guess she wasn't expecting that. "I may not be baby-sitting, and you may not need a sitter, but you are still a minor. You do not know everything. And I have a responsibility to make sure that boats using this launch are adhering to safety standards."

I sigh. I am tired of being bossed around by people. When it's not my older sisters and brothers, it was always a baby-sitter, or my parents, or a teacher. I am a person. I am about to tell Kristy this when I feel Haley pinch me. She gives me a look that clearly says "Do something." In a blind panic of having to deal with Haley's wrath, I reach my arm around Kristy's shoulder and face her away from the boat – sorry, _yacht_.

"Look, Kristy. We all have permission to be here." I had a feeling that Karen was climbing into the boat as we speak. Kristy is her older stepsister, and does not approve of Karen's new friends. I felt bad about lying, Kristy used to be so nice to me. She even made sure I had a softball team to play on when I was kid and didn't make Little League.

Kristy gives me a suspicious look. "Are you sure? I can call your parents you know."

"Yes, and besides, we all have our boating licenses. There are plenty of flotation devices on board – do you need to check?" I pray that she doesn't accept. Usually this sort of bluff works. Kristy is different though, a little too intense on the following procedure. "We will be back before dark. We just want to relax a little before finals. Enjoy this beautiful weather we've been having."

Kristy looks suspicious. I tell her that it's the Papadakis boat, and we have permission. She warns us all to watch out for ice. I don't know what we will do if we find ice. Finally, we are free of Kristy Thomas. She walks away, and we hop in the boat.

A few hours later, we anchor the boat near some little island. Haley decides to call it 3 o'clock island, and refuses to tell anyone why. She says we should know why. It's not my fault I don't. I'm not omnipotent. Her little games can be annoying. Why should I just know what she's thinking about?

We climb out, into a little inflatable rowboat, and go to shore. It's quite chilly out. Karen looks frozen, so Jake and I give her our sweatshirts. She puts them both on, one on top of the other. The girls shiver their way to shore, we put down the picnic blanket and Vanessa gets to setting out a picnic. I wonder when she had time to make it. I am amazed and tell her so.

Haley takes me by the hand, and walks me to some sort of caves. She asks me what happened at the party.

"Haley, I told you I don't want to talk about it." I am adamant. I barely dodged the question the first time. "Besides, there are plenty of things that you don't tell me."

"What am I to you?" She doesn't screech this out like she's in a movie. It's more of a gentle question. She really wants to know. The thing is, I don't know. It's complicated. I tell her that.

"Are you in love with Vanessa?" This question takes me by surprise. I haven't really thought about it. I mean, I love Vanessa, but she's my sister. I want to do anything for her. My mind drifts to the magazine.

"It's not like that, I swear. Haley, you really just wouldn't understand." I feel bad for snapping at her. She looks like she might be hurt. I know she is, because she starts to look for a cigarette. She only smokes cigarettes when she's on the verge of a breakdown. I know her too well. We practically grew up together.

As if she is reading my thoughts, Haley starts playing "remember when" again. I try to change the subject. Thinking about the past is depressing. I am depressed enough without constantly thinking about how much better life used to be. I try to tell her so, but she insists.

"This is where we stayed. Remember? When I went sailing with Dawn Schafer and Claudia Kishi? We were on the news? We slept in this cave. I think this is the right island. I've looked for it so many times."

I begin to suspect that Haley has mental issues. I kiss her, hard. I can't think of any other response to "I almost died." I could tell her how my entire family spent that weekend cruising around in our motor boat looking for her and everyone else. I could ask her if she's still friends with Becca Ramsey, but I already know the answer.

She tells me she loves me. She tells me this a lot. I don't know what to say. I could love her, maybe. But I don't think she really does love me. Haley loves the idea of love. I'm just in the right place at the right time. I'm okay with it, for now.

I take one of her cigarettes and twirl it between my fingers. "You really shouldn't smoke, Haley."

"Are you going to read me the surgeon general's warning now?" She sneers at me.

"No. But I would like for you to tell me what's wrong."

"Later." She jumps to her feet, throws her cigarette on the ground, and runs into the water, taking off her clothes. "Come on Nicky! It'll be fun."

Plunging into just above freezing water naked is not my idea of a good time. But I do it anyway. Why? I'm not sure. Why does anyone do anything at all? I strip down to my underwear, like she knew I would and follow her. I wish that I wouldn't let her manipulate me like this. She pulls me close to her and kisses me, pulling me completely under water at the same time.

Amazingly, my body adjusted to the cold water, at least temporarily. After a few minutes, the cold catches up to us, and we find ourselves running out of the water and putting our clothing back on at record speeds. Once I warm up, just a little bit, I feel powerful. It's like I could do anything. It is exhilarating to feel so alive.

We run, hand-in-hand back to our friends. While we were gone, someone had built a fire. I was grateful for the fire, because it was freezing. I didn't want to wuss out though, so I remained silent. The six of us sit around the fire until the sun goes down. I have trouble sitting – I want to do something. I want to do more then just hang out all the time. I want to run along the beach and sleep under the stars. I want to be able to get on a plane and go to Thailand if the mood hits me.

But instead, we all pile back into the boat and find our way back to the Community Center. Linny's sister Hannah, their housekeeper/nanny, Kristy Thomas, and some woman I don't recognize greet us.

"Yeah, I thought you kids didn't have permission," Kristy screeches at us. Does she realize that no one is paying her to be our mom? No one has paid her to watch us in years. "I thought I should call Mr. and Mrs. Papadakis to double check. What did I find? They aren't even home? I was about to call the Coast Guard. You should not be out on the water now, in the weather, in the dark. None of you are grown-ups. You are children! I'm calling your parents." I wonder why I ever liked her. She continued on with the yelling for quite some time.

Haley looks at me and rolls her eyes. I wonder if anyone will actually care. We are all alive, after all. Nothing harmed, no foul.

"… and Karen Brewer! You know better to go running off with kids who are older than you! I KNOW you didn't have permission. No ONE told me that you would be sailing on the ocean in January! –"

"- Hey, it's unseasonably warm! And what would you know about what I'm allowed to do? My parents allow me to make my own choices and decisions. MY parents! TWO of them! Not you, my STEP-sister." Karen looked very thin and delicate at that moment. Jake stepped up and started to hold her, before she started sobbing. She shrugged him off and kept right on going. Karen doesn't know when to stop.

"Karen! What has gotten into you?"

Well, this was getting embarrassing. I nod to Vanessa, grab Haley's hand, and the three of us sort of sneak away. Not very noble of us, we know. These fights didn't really concern us, and it was reaching the point of embarrassment. I entertain a brief thought of trying to get my sort-of girlfriend and my sister in bed with me. Then I realize what I'm thinking and try to focus on something else.


	4. Chapter 4

The first thing I do when I get home is shower. I need to get the smoke, the girls, the cold salt water off of my body. I then head to my bed and lay there, thinking, for approximately an hour, staring at the ceiling. I pull the blanket over my head, and start dialing the cordless phone.

I call people in each of my classes and find out that I am right, and I didn't miss anything at all. Sitting up, I write out a French composition and a speech for tomorrow. I am about to fall asleep when Adam pulls me to the floor.

"Sorry dude. I need your mattress. My girlfriend Ashley is spending the night. Only Mom said that she can't stay here. She has to sleep in the rec room. I don't know why, it's not like they could possibly still think I'm a virgin. So I figured I would give her your mattress. You can sleep on the couch. Or in Mallory's old bed. Since you are such a girl, I'm sure you won't mind sleeping with Vanessa." I stood up. I grabbed the mattress back. Adam was bigger and pushed me off. "Dude. You can sleep anywhere else. She's visiting from college, and has to stay somewhere. Be nice to guests." He pushed me again, into the bed, rather hard. I pushed him back. I was about to finally get one up on him, when my dad arrived.

"Boys! Nick! What have I told you about fighting?" Then he gives me this look like _I_ started it. "Let Ashley have your mattress. You can sleep on the couch in the living room." I look at him.

"Be a man Nick. Be a man. Chivalry might not be completely dead." He gives me that parent look. You know the one. The one that tells you that you are completely stupid and unimportant.

"-But –"

"I said no."

I was going to ask why Ashley couldn't sleep in Vanessa's room. Wouldn't an actual bed be more comfortable then a mattress on the floor?

I stomp down to the kitchen and make myself a peanut butter and potato chip sandwich, for a snack. I go look for mom, hoping she's in a listening mood. Maybe she would have something to say about the fact that everything in my life sucked today. That's when I see Mallory. Tall, with bright red hair and wearing a Smith College sweatshirt, she is hanging on some guy. "Nick!" she shouted, even though I am standing _less than a three feet away._ "How are you?" She hugs me.

"Who are you?" I know it's rude. But he's big and blonde and unfamiliar.

Mallory introduces him as her boyfriend, Damion or Daniel or something. I instantly forget. I can't stop thinking about my day.

All I think about these days is how weird girls are.

The only thing that makes that thought go away is the question of where am I supposed to sleep _tonight_. I am incredibly tired, and debate sleeping on the kitchen floor. Of course, that leads to the question of whether or not anyone would notice. Probably not. I briefly entertain the notion of sneaking into Haley's room. I don't want her to think I'm a stalker, however nice it might be to sleep all night with her.

I am also terribly confused about my relationship with my other sister, Vanessa, and my relationship with Haley. Am I dating Haley? Should I call her? I don't want to come on too strong. I hear girls don't like that. I also don't want to come off indifferent. I can still smell her perfume. I guess it could be Karen's skanky perfume. She was sure to tell me how her daddy bought it for her from Europe. Either way, it makes me smile. I'm sure I look real cool, sitting at the dining room table with my sandwich, smiling like a dork.

Mallory interrupts my thoughts with questions about school. I tell her about debate. It's something academic, that she can understand. She tells me that I'm smart and sweet. I wonder if she really means it. I'm not that sweet. I'm dark and mysterious. I ask Mallory some questions about her school, and pretend to listen, when, in fact, I'm stuck within my own thoughts.

Was the whole day some elaborate set up that Vanessa orchestrated to make me feel better about last week? Does Haley even like me? I have so many questions about this stuff, and I have no one to listen to me and answer my questions. What the hell is wrong with Karen Brewer?

Mallory is still blathering on about how she met Dudley or Dilbert at some writers convention and it was kismet (what the heck does that mean?) and how they are in love or something. I really am NOT in the mood to hear anything about my sister's love life. I try to stay awake.

Then she starts talking about stars aligning just right. Before long she is talking about how women are repressed and how Dwight or Donald or whatever his name is totally understands the plight of women and no man really does, and he's so special and would I mind sleeping on the couch and letting him have my bed because our parents wouldn't let him stay in her room.

I knew there was a reason she was being so nice.

"Sorry. Adam has absconded with my mattress. Is this some big college free weekend or something? Ashley is sleeping in the rec room on it, although now I know why she just didn't take your bed." Mallory looks at me. I think it was the use of absconded in a sentence. I nod, like, I know what's up.

"Adam's still with Ashley Wyeth? She is so weird. She used to wear combat books with a hippie dress. And now this girl is sleeping in my house?" I nod. Ashley is pretty weird, she's a real artist type. Adam is not. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I suspect they are both cheating. It's not my place to say anything.

"Gosh Nick. Now what am I supposed to do?" I thought she was going to break down in tears. So I left as quickly as possible. Girls. I do not get them at all.

I head to the living room, and grab a blanket. There is one good thing about sleeping on the couch. I can watch the big screen TV. I turn it on, and see the first five minutes of Conan before I pass out.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

_I'm living on a boat with Karen Brewer. She is telling me that we are married. She wants to know when our baby will be born. I look down and I'm pregnant. My belly is rapidly expanding. _

_But I'm a boy, I protest. Boys can't be pregnant. _

_Yes they can, says the girl who looks and talks like Karen. But it's not Karen. I know it's not. I tell her that it's not Karen. _

_She giggles. _

"Of course I'm not Karen."

I glance out of my sleep coated eyes. Every muscle in my body hurts. I wonder if I have mono. I stretch my legs out, and I feel something warm and heavy on my feet.

Pow growls at me.

"You sure are cranky with your old age." Mallory tells Pow, patting him on the head.

"What do you want Mal?"

"I was sent to wake you up. I thought you also might like to know that Kristy Thomas called me last night." She says this last part as she walks out the room. She's completely dressed. I wonder if she slept at all last night. I decide I don't want to know.

It doesn't take me long to get off the couch.

"Come back! I don't know what she told -" I stop. Margo and Dad are sitting at the table, in matching jogging suits. I see tennis rackets near the door. Margo gets to skip school sometimes for "training." It's so unfair.

"Oooh Nicky! Do you have a girlfriend? Is she friends with Mallory? OOOooohhh," she tauts over her dish of Wheaties. "I bet it's that blonde girl."

I am not in the mood for this. Dad glances up at me. I ignore his look, and remind Margo that eating Wheaties will not make her an Olympian, no matter what the box suggests. It was lame, I know. But it was all I could think of in my sleep stupor. I accidently slept in my contacts last night, and my vision is all blurry.

For all I know, she will be an Olympian. I entertain a thought that at 14, she's too old. I know it's mean. I would really like to see someone else in the family fail. Not because I want them to fail – they are my brothers and sisters – but because I want to be better then someone. It's horrible, I know.

I catch up with Mallory outside of Vanessa's bedroom. Vanessa, as the oldest female Pike child, has her own room. She asked to trade out the two twin beds for a double, but Mom and Dad insist on letting Mallory feel at home when she comes to visit. It's been that way for years. I think at first, they actually just wanted another place to throw another kid, if one arrived. Ew. What a thought.

Mallory barges into Vanessa's bedroom.

"What did she say?" I demand. Mallory should tell me what's going on. I would like to know if I should expect trouble or what.

"Oh, who cares what Kristy Thomas said." Mallory tries to wake Vanessa by shaking her. Vanessa's not waking up. It's pretty normal, for Vanessa. "Kristy just likes to prove she's got control over situations."

I shrug. I don't know her beyond the softball team I used to play on. I think she used to baby-sit for us a lot, before Mallory was old enough to be a sitter. If Mom and Dad have a chance to save some money, they take it. We had to eat hot-dog casserole for years.

"Shouldn't you get dressed?" Mal says to me. "Vanessa. Wake up!" she sort of yells. It does the trick.

"Mmm. Good morning." Vanessa sits up. "Did someone say something about breakfast?"

I leave. I'm not getting much more out of Mallory, at least not right now. I don't know if she's going to share details with Mom or not. I figure she'll talk to Vanessa, and I will be left in the dark, as usual. No one ever tells me anything.

Pow waddles up to me. I pull on some jeans in my bedroom, and find a leash for Pow. I figure we have time for a walk before school. It's pretty early, the sun isn't even out yet. I make sure we walk around the block, past Haley's house. I stop in front of the house, and pretend like I'm waiting for Pow while I stare at the house. Haley's window is in the back. Probably just as well.

We start walking again, when a van pulls up to the Braddock's house. Haley's brother Matt walks out the front door, and down the walkway. He sees me. I wave and sign hello. Matt is deaf. I used to be friends with him. Well, as good as friends as you can be with someone who speaks another language. I tried to learn sign language. I wish I had been better at it.

Matt waves back. He signs something to the driver of car, and runs over to me. He starts signing, and I pick out bits and pieces of what he's saying. He wants to know if I want to play baseball this weekend. Then he stops, and says that he is learning to talk and read lips. It surprises me. His voice sounds … well, weird. There is no other way to say it.

The person in the van is honking at him. He tells me, slowly, that he has to go. He signs to me what I think is the sign for girlfriend. Then he points to the car, where there is a girl waving from the backseat.

I wonder what it would be like to be deaf.

Pow and I continue our walk. There is a U-Haul parked in front of the house behind ours. It's kind of a small, rundown house, and the Pike compound is directly behind it. No wonder no one ever stays long. One couple moved out after a month, probably because of the Pike family game "Secret Agents." The game involved all of us spying on them, as much as possible.

I wonder if the U-Haul is moving people in or out. While I look around for signs of life, Pow reminds me that he would like to waddle back home. I figure it won't hurt to cut through the back yard, when some kid I have never seen before comes out of the side door, holding a trash bag.

"What do you think you are doing?" He sneers at me. He's probably a little older than me, dressed kind of preppy. He's average height, and not skinny, but not fat either. He's got brown hair. I glance up at him.

"Cutting through your yard to get home" I tell him, and I keep walking. I don't want to stare at him.

"Well, my backyard is not a highway. You are one of those kids who lives in that house, aren't you? Are you guys Catholic or something?" He sort of sneers, as if my having a billion brothers and sisters is somehow my fault. He has green eyes. They are bright green. I try not to look too hard. I like girls. Right?

"No, they are not Catholic. They are on TV. Don't you pay attention? I told you that last week." Some girl pushes her way out the door. She looks unpleasant. She's wearing a black hoodie, black jeans, and has more piercing in her ears than I have every seen before. It's pretty hot. I feel my stomach drop. I am standing here, barely awake, walking the world's oldest basset hound.

"Like I care about your crazy TV shows." He shoves the trash in a bin, and stomps back into the house. I watch him leave.

"You know, if you like my brother, he does swing that way…" The girl trails off.

"Oh, no!" I'm embarrassed. "I have a girlfriend!"

"That doesn't matter. Some men are married, but like other guys." She smiles at me. I do not smile back. "It's nothing to be embarrassed of. Best to get it out now!" I think she might be flirting. She starts pulling the plastic trash bins to the curb.

"I'm Nick." I try to smile. But the last few minutes were still with me. "Let me help you with that."

"Trying to prove how masculine you are?"

"I just was being nice. You still haven't told me your name."

"I know." She sort of smirks at me, and runs back into the house.

Did I mention that girls are weird?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Battle of the Bands

Incompetent. Terrifying. Corpulent. Insane. That's the best way to describe Ms. Koss, my oversized English "teacher." English Lit is my last class of the day, and she's a good part of the reason that kids drop out of school.

I will admit that I'm not the biggest fan of reading books about people who fictionally lived and died centuries ago. One could even say that I loathe British Lit. I can't imagine a more pointless class. Today, we are learning about the most useless novel of all time.

"Wuthering Heights." Right now, it's the bane of my existence.

The mind-numbing, tedious recitation of facts from Bronte's only novel is marked only by the useless instruction. Last year, we had American Lit, with a teacher who clearly loved the subject. We read books that mattered. Mark Twain, Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, John Irving, Earnest Hemmingway, Jack Kerouac, among others. But it wasn't just the books. We pulled our desks into a circle and talked about great writing, and great people. English class used to be less boring. Our opinions were respected, and everyone liked it.

Together, our class watched The Color Purple. We learned about the Beat Generation by reading Howl and listening to music. We did projects and even read some Stephen King. We watched a video about J.D. Salinger. It was a fantastic class.

This year, I'm stuck with Ms. Koss. Today we are dissecting characters in Wuthering Heights. Everyone in this class is struggling to stay awake. Koss looks like she will be pleasant enough. She is one of the younger teachers at Stoneybrook High School. On the first day, she gave us her personal history and qualifications. Then she laid down the rules. No talking, no chewing gum, no slouching, no late homework, no hall passes, and no tardiness. I don't know if she can really enforce the gum or slouching rule, but she sure tries. If this were a Catholic School, she'd be one of those nuns you see in movies with a ruler, slapping misbehaving children on the back of their hands.

She has assigned many books with interesting summaries on the back cover. Unfortunately, I have no desire to actually read past the first page. It's both the difficulty and blandness of the text, coupled with an intense desire to disobey Ms. Koss and her horrible wardrobe. For someone who is a recent college graduate, she dresses like Molly Weasley. There's a book I could show some interest in. Not that I'm big into fantasy – but I did read some of the first book at the same time Claire did. It wasn't the worst book I ever read. It would be infinitely better than reading about Heathcliff and his wild moors. Even the summary bored me to tears.

Ms Koss would never have such an interesting idea. We started with Beowulf, and while the summary was mildly intriguing, the text did not keep my attention. It was the same way with Canterbury Tales, Dracula, A Tale of Two Cities, and even Frankenstein. I loved Bride of Frankenstein, so Shelley was an especially disappointing author.

So here I am, sitting in Koss' class, staring at the clock. I try to speed it up using the power of my brain. I fail. I then attempt a silent prayer to as many different deities as I can remember. When I run out of traditional Gods, I move on to ones from television shows and movies. During my prayer to Glory (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Charlotte Johanssen pokes me in the ribs. I lean back slightly, in the off chance that Charlotte has something interesting to say. Oddly enough, she does.

"Hey. You should come to battle of the bands tonight. Our band is playing." Charlotte plays guitar in Jordan's band. She doesn't sing. I'm not sure why. She said it's because she doesn't like the idea of a bunch of guys playing back-up to her – but I suspect there is something more. She's always been kind of shy.

Battle of the Bands is a big thing in Stoneybrook. All the kids with rock bands and rap groups compete at the Stoneybrook Community Center for prizes, usually better equipment or lessons. Stoneybrook is a small town, so everyone who is anyone turns up to watch. Typically, 90 – 100 of the bands are terrible, but you have to go anyway. There's free food and beverage. What else are you going to do in Stoneybrook?

"I don't know, I'll have to see what Haley's doing."

Charlotte snorts. "Haley Braddock? Really? You hang out with her? I hear she's_really_ popular over at Stoneybrook Day." Char gives me a look, like suddenly I've got leprosy, or worse.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yeah, I'm defensive. I might not know what our relationship is, but Haley's still a good person. I

"You know what it means. Haley's a bad person. You should stay away from her. Don't bring her tonight."

"Why not? Didn't you guys used to be friends?"

"Mr. Pike! Perhaps you'd like to share this very important conversation with the rest of the class. Do you have some critical insight into Heathcliff's character? That is what you and Miss Johanssen are discussing, is it not?"

"Heathcliff is an orphan." I say. I can't think of anything else. It's on the back cover.

Ms Koss gives me a look, while the rest of the class snickers.

"Did you read the assigned chapters, Mr. Pike?" She enunciates her words in a strange way. Oddly enough, she doesn't scare me into submission, as she does with some of the students.

"No, not really. They were boring. This is a chick book, for girl hundreds of years ago. Furthermore, I don't see how it is relevant to us." I don't want to tell her that I did try. Failure somehow seems worse then not trying at all, on moral grounds.

"Keep it up, Mister Pike, and you will have detention."

I shrug. This is annoying. Last year, we would have a discussion of why I found it boring and unreadable. Now I just get into trouble. I realize that I don't really care. How is this ever going to help me in the future?

"I just don't see why we have to read something –"

"MISTER PIKE! COMPOSE YOURSELF"

And in a flash, I realize that I don't have to take this. I don't have to be treated like I'm dumb for not understanding the reading. She's the one who assigned the book, and then refused to discuss it. I was merely stating my opinion, as one does in a class, and she yelled at me.

I feel that anger bubbling in my stomach, and realize I need to do something. I can't sit here and listen to this.

I get up. It's as if my legs and brain are thinking two different things. Ms. Koss gives me an incredulous look. She can't believe that someone would dare to disrespect her. I can't believe how much she disrespects us.

"Where do you think you are going?"

And I respond, as calm as can be. "I'm leaving. You can't stop me." It is exhilarating. I pick up my messenger bag and walk to the front of the room. I make sure to toss my copy of Wuthering Heights on her desk as I walk out the door. That part was easy. Ignoring the looks and Ms. Koss' piercing voice, I rush to get to the hallway before my face betrays me.

I smile.

* * *

At home, there isn't much for me to do but pace around the house. I can't concentrate on homework or television. Video games bore me. Reading is too slow for the keyed up mood I am in. Finally, I just dump my books on my dresser, take my bag, and hit the streets. There has to be something to do.

It's not long before I find myself sitting on Haley's front steps. My phone reads 2:55. Her bus usually drops her off around 3:10. I wait.

When she finally gets off the bus and sees me on her step, she gives me a smile. A very pretty, happy to see me smile. Her smile erases and doubts I had about her. I know I'm pathetic. A girl smiles at me, and suddenly the world changes?

We give each other the rundown of our days on her front porch. She's not allowed to have any guests inside the house when her parents aren't home. Sometimes, I wonder why we all follow these rules – it's not like anyone would really know. But some rules are just followed arbitrarily, presumably in the same fashion that they were made. It seems as though everyone in Stoneybrook has this same rule.

"Are we going to the Battle of the Bands?" I hope she doesn't notice that I'm assuming that we had plans.

"I'm going. I don't know about you. Did we make plans for tonight?" She teases me, slightly. She also looked slightly put out. Girls are confusing.

"Fine. Will you go to the Band thing with me tonight?" Why am I playing into her games?

She turns toward me. "I thought you'd never ask. And to prepare… Let's spice up this lemonade!" Haley pulls a flask of something out of her bag. I swear; that bag is like Mary Poppin's bag – you never know what Haley is going to pull out next. One minute it's a dime bag, the next it's a flask, tomorrow it might be the key to some abandoned warehouse.

"Linny didn't get in any trouble, did he?"

"Nah, not with his parents anyway. Carmen – you know, the maid slash housekeeper slash nanny? — was pretty mad. But what can she really do? Oh, and Hannie was pissed. She started praying for Lin and Karen – right there in the parking lot. Of course, this is all according to Karen, so it might be slightly exaggerated."

"Of course." We all know about Karen and her "creative" version of the truth.

"Did your parents find out? I don't know why everyone is so upset. We weren't doing anything illegal."

"Kristy called Mallory. I don't know what Mal did with that – as far as I can tell, she hasn't narked yet. But there's still time. No one was home when I got home." That in itself is weird. "Weird, right? I mean, no one was home, even though Mallory and her boyfriend of the week stayed over last night, and Adam's girlfriend too." Crazy.

"I wouldn't worry about it, then."

"Yeah. And I don't know why Kristy has to get involved. We weren't doing anything wrong. I mean, it might not be normal to boat in this weather, but what could happen? I mean, really."

"You mean besides hitting or breaking something, capsizing in a sudden storm, and drowning or being stranded on an island and having no one know where you were?" I turn around. Some black girl is standing in the Braddock's doorway. I look closer.

"Jessi!" Haley gets up and gives her a hug.

"Nick, do you remember Jessi?" I nod. I do. There never were many black people in Stoneybrook; however, Jessi was over a lot. She used to help Mal baby-sit for us all the time. Then Mal left, and everyone got older and sitters weren't around as often.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be off studying foreign languages and dance in some fabulous location?" Haley was excited. I could see it in her face. She was beaming. I hadn't see her like this in a very long time. Oddly enough, it made me feel happy too.

"I came back for the Band Battle, and to visit my family and you guys. Did you think I wouldn't ever visit?"

I tune out to the reunion at that point. Jessi was always very good at sign language, probably because she sort of a permanent sitter at the Braddock's house. Every time I would go over after school to play with Matt, Jessi was there. I never noticed how pretty she was though. Her sister is in one of my classes. She's kind of annoying.

"You guys should be careful. That was a really stupid thing you did. It might not seem like it, but you could have been seriously hurt." She looks us over. "You weren't drinking, were you?"

Fortunately, Haley is an excellent liar. "Oh, of course not. We would never do anything so dangerous, not to mention illegal."

I nod in agreement. It takes practice to get this good. "We don't want to die, or catch AIDS or something. We just wanted to feel the fresh air on the water."

I think she buys the act. It's hard to tell though. I wonder if I'm supposed to find a way to get Haley away from her, so we can spend time together, or if I'm supposed to leave. I never know what to do in these situations. Haley seems pretty content though, so I tell her that I have to go home, and that I'll see her tonight. I tell her that I'll be over with Vanessa around 7, if that's okay. She dismissively tells me that it's fine. I worry.

Instead of walking directly home, I take the long way, right past the small house with the new people. I stand at the end of the driveway for a minute, debating on cutting through again. I want to see if they will come out and yell at me. Maybe I can get some more information, even a name would be nice. The house looks empty.

So I start to cut through, and once again, that girl comes outside. This time, she's holding a box.

"You again?"

"Do you want me to carry that for you?" I ask, as nicely as possible.

"Do you think I can't handle it?" she spits out. I shrug.

"Whatever, I don't need this." I continue on my way. I watch her out of the corner of my eye. She looks surprised.

"Hey, yeah, I guess I could use some help. It's kind of heavy." I turn.

She shoves the box in my arms, and points to the garage. "Put in in there, and don't break anything."

"What's your name?" I ask again.

She smiles at me. It's not a friendly smile, but it's not unfriendly either. "Are you going to help me or what?"

I put the box in the garage. She has me move it a few times.

"If you think we are going to be BFFs, you got another thing coming. We move a lot."

"Why?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." The mysterious girl is up in my face. She's running her hand down my cheek when we are interrupted by the guy from this morning. His eyes sparkle in the light.

I wish I hadn't noticed that.

"Mom needs us inside. And you know the rules." He looks over at me. "You should go home." I detect the faintest hint of a smile. I just look at him. I don't know what it is, or who these people are, but I want to know more.

Both of the mysterious neighbors disappear into their house, and my stomach jumps a little. I head home for Friday night family dinner. I do not look forward to it.


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note: I need a beta. If you have a wonderful grasp of the English language and enjoy my writing, please PM or email me._

Chapter 7: A Pike Family Dinner

Friday night means one thing in the Pike family: Family Night. When I was younger, Friday night usually meant we would have a baby-sitter. Everyone in my family liked baby-sitters. They always played along with our games and schemes. They helped us put on plays and run a carnival out of our backyard. I even have vague memories of starting our own library, under the direction of a baby-sitter. Pikes did everything together back then.

Now that all of us Pike kids can pretty much watch ourselves, we sit down to dinner together at least once a week. Somehow, Friday seems to be the only day when no one is busy. We can bring friends; we can eat whatever we want. The only rule is attendance. Today is no exception.

On the menu tonight is spaghetti. Spaghetti has always been the one food we all like. I take a seat on one of the benches between Byron and Vanessa. Next to Byron sits Adam. Ashley squishes in next to him. This kitchen was crowded with eight small children, now it's nearly unbearable.

Mom and Dad are sitting in chairs at one of the ends of the table, while Mallory and her boyfriend squish together at the other end. The rest of my brothers and sisters sit on the bench across from me. I try not to laugh as Claire tries to convince everyone, including herself, that doesn't like spaghetti. She's picking at a plate of plain fruit. I resist the urge to tell her that there are carbs in fruit too.

"So, what's going on in everyone's life? Is there anything at school you would like to discuss?" Mom asks. When we were children, everyone would have answered at once. Now pretty much everyone sort of shrugs. I hear some mild grumbling of "nothing," "It's great," and "fine."

Mom doesn't give up.

"Margo, how was school today?"

"I didn't go. Daddy took me to the club to play tennis with some guy. I think it went well, but I need to work on my backhand again."

Mom glances at my father. "We'll talk about THAT later."

"Adam?"

"I didn't go. I spent the day with Ashley."

Mom's lips pursed a little. "So how is school going, Ashley?"

"Oh, it's great, I'm learning all sorts of stuff about art and history. Really learning, not like in high school. It seems to me that most of what you learn in high school is pretty use—"

" – Alright! Who's next! Nicky!"

"I made the debate team." I say this as unaffected as possible.

"Hey, that's wonderful, dear. When do you practice?"

"After school, Tuesdays and Thursdays. We have a competition coming up soon, so there will probably be extra practices. It's no big deal though, they let anyone on."

"You should let us know the dates of your competitions so we can attend. We are so proud of you."

"Good job Nick! You should get a new suit for a competition. Maybe mom can find one on _sale_ at Bellairs." Mallory is such a pest. "You know, you should make sure to wear navy – I hear the nautical look is really in right now."

By now, everyone is looking at Mallory strangely. I glare at her.

"Hey! Isn't anyone going to ask about me?" Claire piped up.

And that was my moment to shine. Thirty seconds of half-hearted congratulations, and interrupted by my thirteen year old sister. I tell myself silently that I don't care.

"I'm going to an audition tomorrow. I will sing and dance and maybe be in a commercial. I have to be up really early so I can take the train to the city with Daddy."

"Let's all give Claire a round of applause, and wish her good luck on her callback."

Sometimes, dinner feels more like daycare. I clap halfheartedly, along with my brothers and Vanessa. Margo is busy staring at her plate, pushing the food around. In a few minutes, someone will remind her to eat so that she can have energy for tennis.

Dinner is predictable. Jordan discusses the set he will be playing tonight for the Battle of the Bands. Byron is quiet. Though he's never been loud, he's been even more quiet (If that's possible) recently.

"Oh, and kids – There will be cameras here again next week. You all know the drill. Act like you usually do, answer the questions they ask you politely, and don't embarrass yourselves or each other." Mom gives us this warning at least once a month. I guess its so we don't get scared when we come home and are suddenly surrounded by film equipment.

After dinner, I corner Mallory by the coffee machine. I pour myself a cup. I don't normally drink coffee. I begin adding sugar as I talk to my oldest sister.

"What do you want from me?" I need her to stop dropping hints that she has something over me. It's annoying and petty.

"Oh nothing. I just want you to know that I know. I can tell anyone at any time."

"Yeah, but you won't. You would have told already. If you wait too long, Mom will wonder why you waited so long."

"Oh, I don't think she will care how long I wait. I don't live here anymore, you know? And she will be most interested in how you skip school."

I stop myself before I make any motion that gives me away. "Who told you that? I don't skip school! It's a lie!" Okay, so maybe that was a little over the top. I can't tell if she buys it or not, because I'm walking away before she reacts. I reach the bottom of the stairs before she reacts.

"Nicky! I'm sorry. Come back?"

What business is it of_ Mallory's_ what I do? She is not my mother; she doesn't even live with us. How does she have any authority over my actions? I want to stomp up the stairs, but even I realize that will create questions from our parents. The last thing I need right now is for my parents to take an interest in my life.

Right now, I need to change my clothes, do something to make my hair look good, and meet Haley.

Vanessa stops me on my way out of our second, tiny, bathroom. The bathroom needs to be remodeled. Most of our house needs to be remodeled, but I suppose that's typical in homes with eight kids. She tells me that Mom and Dad are going to the Community Center to see Jordan's band play. I sigh.

"I bet they'll be amused when they hear the band name announced." I snicker, just a little. I doubt that Jordan has told them that their band name is 'Pirates of Pussy(cats)'. No wonder Charlotte doesn't want to be the lead singer.

Vanessa laughs. Her smile lights up the room. "I bet that Jordan will play so well they will stay."

"I thought we weren't going to do the rhyming thing anymore?" Mallory interjects. She seemed to pop up out of nowhere.

Mallory takes her short arms and pushes Vanessa and I into the tiny-needs-to-be-remodled-badly bathroom and locks the door. Then she starts asking questions in a hushed voice. "Why are you guys acting so oddly? Are you on drugs? Are you pregnant? Nick, is Haley pregnant? You are acting so strange. I can help you, you know, if you talk!"

"First of all, you don't have any jurisdiction here" Vanessa spoke in her own hushed whisper shout. "There is nothing going on. You don't live here, so you wouldn't know how we normally act."

"Yeah." I'm so cool. I'm well spoken. That's why I am responding monosyllabically. "We are so not on drugs. Why would you get that?" Lying becomes easier the more you do it. Besides, we weren't on drugs – sure we experiment sometimes, but it's not like I'm addicted.

"Then why are you guys all buddy buddy?"

"Is that the blonde guy's name?"

"No! His name is Drake. And don't change the subject!"

"Drake?" Vanessa starts cracking up.

"Fine. Whatever, do what you want. Throw your lives away, see if I care." Mallory stomps out. I notice that she has a hole in her pants in a most unfortunate place. From the look on Vanessa's face, I can tell she saw it too.

Vanessa and I look at each other and laugh hysterically. It's the laughing where you just can't stop, and because you can't stop, you laugh harder and harder. After a good ten minutes of this, I practically crawl out of the bathroom; I decide to wear a sweater and khakis. I double check the gel in my hair and bang on Vanessa's door. She comes out and tells me that Linny is picking us all up at Haley's.

While Vanessa is running around her room, rather frantically, Adam rushes pass me in the hallway. He is yelling something indecipherable at Ashley, who has tears streaked on her face. Ashley is weird. She's heavy into art and stuff, not anyone who I would have ever expected anyone to date, ever, much less Adam. He says Ashley has low self-esteem. Adam claims he's just using her, but sometimes it seems like it might be more. I don't get it, and I don't think I care that much.

"No, it's okay. We can still break up."

"But – I don't want to be that guy. I won't abandon you in this condition."

"Don't worry about me, Adam. It will be okay. I need to focus on my art. If I am ever going to get into a real art school, now is the time."

"But –"

"It's fine. I know you never really cared about me. I was just using you."

"You can't use me. I was using you. Don't be a whore." And that's when Adam noticed I was still standing there. "What are you looking at, little weasel. Yeah, that's right. I know all about you and what you did last week."

I feel my face burning. Vanessa pulls me into her bedroom and tells me to calm down. I see a teddy bear on Mallory's bed and throw it at the door.

"He is such a jerk!"

"I know. But it will be okay." Vanessa looks at me sadly. "Let's go." She opens her window.

"I am not climbing out of the window." That's just silly. We have permission to go out. Why risk it?

"This is more fun!"

So we climbed out the window, jumped to the tree next to the window, and lowered ourselves to the ground. No one ever said the Pikes were normal.


End file.
